Adam D’Souza

Children only have one childhood. Commons Education is the result of my frustration that the London education system seemed like a relentless production line of exam results, without no real pause to ask why.

Our aim is to lead our students towards academic success while allowing children (and parents!) to enjoy the journey on the way; our empathetic approach acknowledges the equal importance of intellectual rigour and emotional wellbeing. The thread that’s always run through my life is a love of language. I studied classics at university, but if I could go back now, I think I would study European or Oriental languages.

That fascination with how people are moved by words helped me bag my first job in advertising. The Web 2.0 revolution was in full swing – everything was going digital; social media was a brave new world. Ironically for someone who studied ancient civilisations, I was drawn towards technology and innovation. But then – like a lot of people who change careers into teaching – I woke up one day and realised that my work had no purpose. The tipping point was probably two days spent behind a two-way mirror transcribing focus groups about shampoo… Was this it?

Fast forward a few years later, and I have had the privilege of teaching in some of the country’s most forward-thinking schools. I have taught children from primary to A Level, from all around the world. I have found the key to effective teaching is tapping into what motivates each student; once you have that rapport, you can stretch a child and challenge them to surpass their own expectations, beyond what they ever thought possible.